The 5 Best Solar Panel Chargers for Camping

Camping is such a great way to take a break from our busy lives, but even so, to completely disconnect may not be something you want to do. Do you rely on your phone for GPS location information? Perhaps you need to be in reach in the case of an emergency? If you are not going to do a lot of hiking but just stationary camping you might even want to be able to power your laptop a few lamps or a portable fridge. The quality of life can really improve if you incorporate a portable solar panel charger in your camping gear.

When it comes to camping gear, here at Jungle Sentry we are passionate about helping you make the best investment possible. Whether it’s portability, price or power that matter most to you, we’ve identified and reviewed the 5 best solar panel chargers for camping to help you make the right decision. In this article we have focused on the more powerful portable chargers (50W-120W), if you are interested in more lightweight chargers, take a look at this article instead Best solar charger for backpacking and hiking. Solar chargers are great for charging your devices directly but they will not work unless the sun is up. One way to get around this is to store the solar energy in a battery. You can find good information about this in our article: The best solar generators for camping

What to consider when buying a solar charger for camping

Weight, the lighter the better. We have listed all solar chargers Watt/Pound

TCXW 100 Watts Solar Panel Charger

★★★★☆

Constructed form high-efficiency monocrystalline solar cells, transforms solar power into usable energy, up to 20.5%-22.5% efficiency. Equipped with a USB 5V/2.1A(max) port and DC 18V/5.0A(max) port, one for 5V USB-charged devices and the other for 18V powered devices. It comes with a handle and can be folded for easy to carry, and 4 attached lanyards for easy installation or adjust the angle to the sunlight. Made from industrial-strength PET polymer faced solar panels sewn into a rugged polyester canvas offer weather-resistant outdoor durability. This charger only folds one time and can be a bit bulky even when folded. But we think it has great capacity being able to output 5A at 18V. It is pretty heavy but the Watts per Pound is one of the best.

Pros

Cons

SUAOKI Solar Charger 60W

★★★★☆

The solar charger generates 60 Watt output with up to 20% high conversion efficiency under 3.8 Watt Lux, providing enough power to charge two devices simultaneously. 5V USB and 18V DC dual output to keep your USB/DC devices on charge. When folded, the solar charger looks like a briefcase easy for transport. When unfolded, it can hang on your RV, tent, or just spread out on the beach to gives you instant charge from sunlight. An intelligent chip (TIR-C technology) makes the solar panel charge faster and safer

Pros

Cons

Tishi Hery 50 Watts Solar Charger

★★★★☆

Constructed of high-efficiency monocrystalline solar arrays, convert up to 20.5-22.5% of solar power into free energy.
It looks like a briefcase when folded. A handle for easy to carry, 4 metal reinforced mounting holes at each corner allow easy attachment to backpacks, trees, or tents.
This solar charger is equipped with a USB 5V/2.1A(max) port and DC 18V/2.7A(max) port, one for USB-charged devices and the other for 18V laptops or other 18V powered devices. Also with a 55-inch MC4 connection cable, you can connect to the solar controller to charge your car or other 12-volt battery.
It is made in industrial-strength PET polymer faced solar panels sewn into a rugged polyester canvas offer weather-resistant outdoor durability, great for any outdoor activities such as camping, climbing, hiking, picnic. You will only get 50W from this charger, but it is only 1.2in thick and weighs only 3.0 lbs(1.35kg), making it easier to transport, hang, and remove. Product has no accessories other than the included MC4 connector cable and dual-port, If you want to charge a laptop, you need to provide your own charging cable.

Pros

Cons

GIARIDE 80W Foldable Solar Charger

★★★★★

This is a fast charging solar charger, Isolar technology could recognize different devices and adjust the current and voltage to optimize your charging time.
It has a very high efficiency solar panel with 22%-25% conversion efficiency. The Wattage you get per pound is the best of all panels we reviewed.
Foldable and portable makes it easy to carry. It also has rainproof design which is a big plus.
Dual USB port(5V/2.4A per port) with iSolar Technology for charging your 5V powered gadgets, and 18V DC output(18V/2.4A) for charging your laptop or storage battery. No additional battery needed for charging external devices.

Pros

Cons

ACOPOWER 120W Solar Panel Charger

★★★★★

This is the most powerful and efficient solar charger in this review. The panels monocrystalline cells has the highest conversion efficiency module in the world, with a conversion efficiency up to 25%. It folds three times and has a reasonable size although it is the heaviest it has a good Wattage per Pound ratio. The ACOPOWER also has good output of 5.97A at 20.88V. The kit includes a 10A LCD charge controller, removable MC4 connector cables and alligator clamps which allows you to charge a car battery with no added components needed.
They also offer 100% money back guarantee. Customer service and technical support based in California. Which is always nice to have.

Pros

Cons

Conclusion

How lightweight you want to be and how much capacity you need decides which solar panel charger for camping is the best for you. If weight does not matter that much and you want power go for the ACOPOWER 120W Solar Panel Charger if your budget allows. The TCXW 100 Watts Solar Panel Charger is a solid pick with great performance and power. If you, on the other hand, need the solar charger to be small, lightweight and easy to carry but not the most powerful we recommend GIARIDE 80W Foldable Solar Charger